This article has been contributed by Dominic Soh. Check out his website Industry Bootcamp for more tips and tricks on careers and personal development.
While the thought of job interviews might come as daunting or intimidating for some, these are actually great opportunities for you to showcase your value to the company and prove to them that you are the right fit for the team and the job.
These are the 8 most common mistakes that can throw you off during your interview. Avoid them at all costs!
1. Arriving late
Plan your journey and aim to arrive early instead of just on time. This is to take into account any delays or unforeseen circumstances which might arise during your travel to your interview location.
2. Failing to do homework on the company
If you are genuinely interested in working for that company, wouldn’t you do your research on them?
Look up the organisation on the web and on LinkedIn. Read up on their projects, mission, vision and any other related articles or resources.
3. Being unsure about themselves or the job
In an interview, you are actually selling yourself to your prospective employee. You are, in essence, trying to convince and persuade them to “buy” your time and talents in exchange for a salary.
If you are not sure about what you can bring to the table or what the job entails, your bargaining chip isn’t that strong and you won’t have much leverage to convince them to hire you.
4. Sounding too scripted and failing to be authentic
Recruiters and interviewers have heard all the job-related jargon and they can tell straight away when one is reading from a script.
Be authentic and be yourself. Do your preparation and have your responses in mind, but don’t be robotic in your communication. You want to showcase your skills and value, as well as how you are able to relate to their team.
5. Lacking confidence
A main cause of a lack of confidence is a lack of preparation.
Starting off, you might have zero preparation and a huge amount of fear towards interviews.
The more you practice, the more interviews you go for, and the more clarity you have about what you can offer, the more your confidence expands.
So get as much practice as you can. If one lacks confidence in themselves, how can they expect employees to be confident in them?
Trust in your abilities and give the interview you best shot.
6. Lacking interest
You need to bring energy, enthusiasm and personality into the interview to stand out. You need to show that you are really interested in the job, the responsibilities attached to it, the team and the organisation.
Having good grades is important, but having the zest and passion can bring you further.
7. Lacking professionalism in dress
If you are unsure about whether your attire is up to standard, ask around and get the opinions of your friends and family.
You want to bring your best to the interview and to leave a great first impression.
In addition, if one isn’t even able to put thought and attention to their dress, then why should others expect them to put in effort in other tasks?
8. Failing to follow up
Most people forget about the follow-up.
Even if you hit a home run during your job interview, you want to go the extra mile by sending your interviewer a thank-you email to let them know that you appreciate them taking the time to interview you, as well as the conversations you had during the session.
It’s great to give a good first impression; it’s even better to leave a great last impression.
All the best for your interviews!
This article has been contributed by Dominic Soh. Check out his website Industry Bootcamp for more tips and tricks on careers and personal development.
